Naples' Audrey Pounds twirls SHAPE's Ilaria Chierchia during a 155-pound pool-play match at the 2025 DODEA European wrestling championships on Feb. 6, 2025, at the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center on Clay Kaserne in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Audrey Pounds watched the finals during her freshman year with tears in her eyes.

The current Naples junior’s tournament had ended in an injury, and she vowed to be on the Saturday stage one day.

Two years later, Pounds found herself achieving that goal during the 2025 DODEA European wrestling championships at the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center on Feb. 8 in Wiesbaden, Germany.

“Going into this year’s finals, I was really nervous, even though it was somebody I had already wrestled before just because it had been finally what I deserved and it almost seemed like too good to be true,” Pounds said.

It was real, and Pounds made the most of it. The daughter of Timothy Pounds and Tracey Roberts-Pounds won the European crown in the 155-pound weight class in the first time in DODEA that girls wrestled separately.

The Falls Church, Va., native pinned her final opponent, Aviano’s Angelisse Griffin, at the 1-minute, 53-second mark. The victory capped off a perfect season in which Pounds went 22-0 and didn’t give up a takedown, according to her coach, Vito Vitulli.

Because of her achievements this season, Pounds was selected as Stars and Stripes girls wrestling Athlete of the Year.

For Pounds, this year already was special before the accolades. She had qualified for Euros twice against the boys, so grappling just against girls was a blessing.

“I’m very grateful DODEA gave me the opportunity to wrestle girls this year,” Pounds said. “It was very emotionally and physically draining to have to constantly compete against boys.

“Wrestling girls gave me a lot of confidence, it gave me a team I actually felt like I could be a part of, and a group of girls that I felt supported by and I could support instead of feeling like an odd man out on a wrestling team full of guys.”

Pounds’ success didn’t shock Vitullo, her coach of three seasons.

He brought up her Italian national championship at 68 kilograms. He also mentioned she has the highest GPA on the Naples wrestling squad at 4.23.

“With her work ethic and her brains, it’s a perfect recipe to be a successful wrestler,” Vitulli said. “I think she has a really bright future in wrestling, and I think her desire will keep her wrestling matches.”

By Pounds’ admission, her start in wrestling wasn’t so bright.

A swimmer in her youth, Pounds lost that option in middle school as her school didn’t offer it. She sought another way to compete, and wrestling was an option. Thus, she joined the squad.

She faced growing pains, but she described it as a journey of self-discovery.

“Wrestling isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, and I’ve definitely had my toxic relationship with this sport,” Pounds said. “But the day I walked into wrestling practice for the first time and just got pounded on, it taught me to keep going and keep pushing and that I can always try a little harder.”

As well as learning about herself, Pounds also credited the sport with strengthening sibling relations.

Pounds’ older brother, Sam, began wrestling around the same time as her, and he experienced plenty of success as a Wildcat. Sam won a European crown at 150 pounds in 2023 and finished runner-up at the same weight class in 2024.

Audrey said she and her brother weren’t particularly close before both started wrestling. Now, their bond is so strong that Sam played a key role in calming Audrey before she stepped onto the mat for the final.

“Wrestling is what really allowed me to form a deeper connection to him,” Pounds said, “and if nothing else, I’m forever grateful for wrestling for giving me that opportunity.”

In terms of her wrestling style, Audrey Pounds called herself somebody who takes opportunities by the horn.

“I love to be the aggressor in wrestling,” Pounds said. “I don’t like being defensive. I don’t think that’s a good mindset to have in this sport because you always have to chase what you want.”

As for her future, Pounds plays soccer for the Napes girls team, and then it’s back to the mats.

Her goal is to stand atop the podium once again next February.

“I just can’t lose my senior year. You know what I mean?” Pounds said.